Shadowhaunt
by t.j.guard
Summary: Book 2 of the Night Watch series, sequel to Canopic Chaos. The new curator looks like she belongs in a library, and she doesn't really like the museum her own self, or the rest of the world for that matter. Chaos just bought property.
1. Prologue

Shadowhaunt

Disclaimer: I don't own Night at the Museum or anything related, save Canopic Chaos.

A/N: set after CC, pairings established in CC still apply ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prologue

Ahkmenrah watched the stars from his place behind the window in a forgotten corner of the museum. The world seemed at ease like this, almost like a sea of glass. For an instant, he let himself believe he was the only waking being in all of New York.

"Ah, there you are," Kahmunrah whispered, distracting Ahkmenrah from his musings.

"What do you want?"

"I thought you got lost."

"Why do you care?"

"Why else? I have nothing better to do."

"I thought you wanted me dead, or else to replace me some other way. You have every opportunity in the world right now."

"It's not like I could dispose of your final corpse, anyway."

"You could've had me burned." At this, Kahmunrah seemed appalled, and Ahkmenrah not only instantly knew why, but regretted his word choice. He turned away, hoping for the peace the night sky could give him. "I'm sorry," he finally whispered.

Kahmunrah leaned against the wall and smirked. "I thought there were no mistakes when you were pharaoh."

"You forget, Kahmunrah. A pharaoh may be the son of Ra, but he isn't a god in his own right until he is dead. Until that point, he is a man, and men make mistakes."

"Oh, so you're a philosopher as well."

"You may not think so, but there've been nights where I've been so worn I could sleep through a war. Leading Egypt was never, at any point, easy, but it has taught me many things."

"You sound like more of an intellectual than a statesman."

"Statesmen are intellectuals."

"I'll give you that one."

"Why am I not dead, Kahmunrah? This is all I'd like to know."

"Well, actually-"

"Oh, there you two are," Larry said, jogging up to them and cutting Kahmunrah off, something the latter wasn't terribly pleased about. "Have you seen this before?" He held up a sheet of paper so both Ahkmenrah and Kahmunrah could see. Looks of horror passed over their features at the exact same time.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Damn credit card debt," Tally whispered as she looked over the record one last time. She'd been on hold with the debt settlement company for the past hour, waiting for someone to come along and work with her on Cecil's exorbitant amount of debt.

"Hello," someone on the other end of the line finally said.

"Yes, I'm looking for a debt settlement agent. You see, my grandfather passed away not long ago, just a few years after my father, and he seems to have wracked up this insane amount of debt."

"Well, you've come to the right place. How much did your grandfather owe?"

"Fifteen thousand dollars."

"Oy vey, that's bad. Now, which credit card company did he use and what was his number?" Tally passed this information on as it was stated on both the bill and Cecil's credit card, which she'd pulled out of his wallet. "Okay, and your circumstances?"

"Single, working as a night guard at the Museum of Natural History, living in my late grandfather's apartment until I can move out."

"Okay, we'll give you a call as soon as we get everything worked out."

"Thank you so much. You're a hero."

"Thanks. Bye."

Tally hung up and sagged in her chair, letting her phone slip from her fingers and land in the pile of bills that scattered the floor and kitchen table. It'd been a long three weeks since both McPhee's trial and the funerals of Cecil, Gus, and Reginold, and she was stuck with all of Cecil's crap.

She closed her eyes and thought back on the dent she'd made in Cecil's disorganized estate during the past three weeks, especially since the jury at McPhee's trial was hung. She'd just begun to settle his massive debt and clean out his apartment. She'd sold several things already, which gave her some breathing room, but his extensive notes and the things he kept from being a night guard were virtually worthless save to an intellectual who'd gone mad.

Dawn was fast approaching, and she had to trust Larry to make sure everyone got back to where they had to be before the new curator clocked in. That shrew was always early. Always.

Eventually, Tally opened her eyes and hauled herself out of the chair, walking over to the coffee table where she'd put all of Cecil's notes that she could find in his apartment. Again, she scoured for traces of anything she'd missed, and she put whatever she found, amounting to what she hoped were the last two sheets of loose-leaf paper, with the rest of the notes. She looked again, but she found nothing.

She looked around for some sleeves and binders for some of the loose-leaf pages, and she set to work organizing everything.

After six or seven hours of sleep, Tally woke, changed, and headed off to the museum for her shift, careful to avoid the curator shrew. Sadly, this proved impossible.

"Who are you and where do you think you're going?" she snapped. The new curator looked more like one of those uptight librarians, with her blond hair up in a bun and dressed in one of those pink and purple suits with the skirt, than anything else.

"Tally Johannson, and I'm going to work," Tally replied, waiting for the sun to fully set so she could find someone to talk to to get her out of this.

"Your position?"

"Night guard."

"Ah, you're the one that took leave because of your grandfather's death. Tsk, tsk."

"You try settling that guy's debt!"

"I would within the week. Now, don't just stand there, get to work!"

"That's what I was going to do until you forced me to stand here!"

The woman huffed and walked off with her nose in the air, and Tally found Larry in no time at all. "I see you met Mrs. Tinsley," Larry said, rather half-heartedly, as he walked up to meet her.

"And they hired her why?"

"No clue. Guess the board had nothing better to do."

"So they're taking it out on us?"

"I guess."

"Now what?"

"We just do what we do."

"We just do what we do," Tally whispered to herself.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

After making her first rounds, Tally hung out in the lobby and watched the people mill about, talking to the now animated exhibits, thinking they were actors or animatronic. Some had been proven wrong on multiple occasions by several exhibits, namely Rexy, the miniatures, and the latest edition, Kahmunrah. Tally laughed at the rumors that fluttered around about how he was some kind of evil spirit sent from the Devil to destroy humanity and claim their souls.

Her eyes scanned the lobby, though nothing seemed out of place. Eventually, the people trickled out, leaving the exhibits, the night guards, and Mrs. Tinsley, who soon clocked out without a word to anyone.

Ahkmenrah walked over, having separated himself from all the skeptical students that came in on their field trips. "Ready for another night?"

"Can't be as bad as last night. Didn't get a wink of sleep until noon."

"What were you doing?"

"Settling debt, cleaning Cecil's apartment, sorting his notes, same stuff I've been doing for three weeks."

"Have you made progress?"

"Yeah, more or less. I'm waiting to hear back from the debt settlement company, but I found all of Cecil's notes."

"Debt settlement company?"

"The people you call when you have a lot of credit card debt."

"How much did he owe?"

"Fifteen thousand dollars."

"Oh, wow!"

"You better believe it. So, what've you been up to?"

"Absolutely nothing, really. I mean, what's an exhibit to do?"

"I dunno, I guess just stay here in the museum where it's safe."

"It's safe outside as long as you make it in first."

"And if you don't you're screwed."

"That's the first time I've heard it worded that way."

"Well, first time for everything."

"This is true. I've seen it."

"Haven't we all?"

"It seems that way at times."

Tally sighed contentedly and watched the exhibits socialize when she noticed something was off. Not only were Jedediah and Octavius off to do whatever they had taken to doing, but all the miniatures were missing. She pulled her flashlight out of its loop and walked into the Hall of Miniatures, switching the light on just in case. Another pair of footsteps followed her own, and she guessed that Ahkmenrah followed her.

The miniatures were all huddled together in a corner, facing some unknown threat which seemed more than even the bold Jedediah could claim to handle. Tally and Ahkmenrah continued to walk into the hall, scanning their surroundings for any trace of...well, anything. Tally turned on her heel and scanned the walls near the threshold of the hall for anything.

On the floor, a few feet away from the lobby, an idealized image of an eye was painted. "Why the Eye of Horus?" Ahkmenrah whispered.

Tally squatted and fingered the symbol. "What's it stand for?"

"Stand for?"

"Yeah, like, what's it mean? How's it used?"

"Well," Ahkmenrah squatted to join Tally, "it represents Horus, of course, but also Egyptian royalty and power."

"So, what's it mean in this context? Is it watching you, like it looks like it's doing?"

"I don't have an answer."

Tally reached down and fingered the material the symbol was drawn with, which seemed to be some form of paint. "Why paint?" she muttered to herself, examining the symbol more closely. She shone the beam of her flashlight around the symbol, but when she turned back to it, the dot in the center had moved. She blinked a few times and looked around again, but the dot remained in its new position. "Are you seeing this?" she asked Ahkmenrah.

"Yes, quite clearly."

"Okay, so I'm not slowly but surely going mad."

"You're not going mad, I'm sure of it. However, that poses this question: what are our other options?"

"This is really happening and it's a hoax, or this is really happening and we're in big trouble."

"I'd say we're in big trouble, but that's just me." Ahkmenrah and Tally looked up in surprise at none other than Kahmunrah.


	4. Chapter 3

I think that's actually how the ancient Egyptians felt, pinkxjellybean, but they believed that the body had to be intact for the soul to truly be at peace.

Chapter Three

Kahmunrah squatted down and examined the eye, feeling the paint, almost tracing the lines. Tally stared down at the eye, and the dot in the center moved to its original position, for all to see. "Oh, now that's something."

"Do you have any decent idea of what the hell all this...this...insanity means?"

"No, but I have the feeling I should."

"Oh, for the love of..." Tally shot to her feet and stormed out to the lobby, her eyes looking around for some kind of expert when her mind flashed on something she left at Cecil's apartment: his notes. Deciding she didn't want to run home at a time like this, she instead took off toward the locker room, having checked for witnesses. Cecil's old locker had been pried open, though by what could be put to debate, and at first glance it looked like not a corner of it remained untouched. She snuck a closer look and found that not only had a part of it remained untouched, it was a whole corner, in which lay a key.

Tally pulled the key out of the locker and examined it in better light, wiping the dust off. Inscribed on the key fob was the number '13', nothing more. She turned the key over, but there was nothing on the other side. Pocketing the key, she walked out of the locker room, only to meet a series of strange looks from several exhibits. She shook her head and tried to make her way back to the Hall of Miniatures when Larry stopped her. "What was that?"

"Nothing. It's...nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing."

"I...I just..."

"If you don't wanna talk about it, just say so."

"I'm trying!" Tally jerked away and walked through the lobby and the front doors, pausing at the top of the stairs.

"Did you find anything?" Tally turned to see that Ahkmenrah had joined her.

"Just some old key," she said flatly, turning to face the highway once again. "When I get home tomorrow, I'm gonna take another look at all those notes Cecil kept."

"Cecil kept notes?"

"Lots."

"You think they hold a key of some sort, no pun intended?"

"Maybe. I'd have to check."

Ahkmenrah stepped up to Tally's side, pausing a moment before he asked, "Is it just me or do you have a talent for picking beautiful places to stop and think?"

"You're just saying that."

He turned to smile at her. "So are you." Tally found herself having to stifle her giggles.

Jedediah took Octavius' hand and they walked down the Hall of Miniatures to where Kahmunrah still stood by the painted symbol. "Is it safe?" Octavius called from a safe distance of about twenty feet. Kahmunrah narrowed his eyes, but he nodded once. They continued their walk toward the symbol when the dot shifted it's position again. Jed leapt back, inadvertently dragging Octavius with him. Once Octavius ensured his shoulder was fine, he watched the symbol, keeping himself between it and Jed.

Kahmunrah furrowed his brow, stood up, and stepped back. Octavius licked his lip and asked, "It's not supposed to do that, is it?"

"No, it's not."

"This one-does it always do that?"

"As far as I know."

"Is it watching us? Is that why it moves?"

"I don't know."

Octavius turned toward Jedediah, who had more or less composed himself and was watching Kahmunrah with narrow eyes. "Jedediah, you haven't said one word to this man," Octavius whispered.

"Whaddaya want me to say?"

"Something, at least. Something civil."

"One word," he said aloud, so that Kahmunrah could hear, though he didn't check for Kahmunrah's reaction. "Happy?" he whispered to Octavius.

"It's a start."

Larry looked around the lobby, seeing that Tally and Ahkmenrah have finally decided to come in. Ahkmenrah walked back to the Egyptian wing, and Larry walked over to Tally. "Hey, uh, sorry about what happened earlier."

"Don't worry about it. You're more used to weird and unusual than I am."

"Yeah, but it's no excuse for...yeah."

"Don't try so hard." Tally smirked. "So, what's weirder? Exhibits coming to life every night or moving symbols?"

"Say what?" Tally laid out what had happened in the Hall of Miniatures as far as she knew. "Oh. I'd have to say the whole moving symbol thing. You can get used to exhibits coming to life every night."

"If you had the choice, Cecil or Kahmunrah? Why?"

"Well, Kahmunrah was a jealous freak, and Cecil was greedy... Wait, you're asking me which sin's worse."

"Very good," Tally said with a smile.

"Can't say."

"Okay, good answer." She shrugged and looked around the lobby. "Guess we just do what we do."

"Whatever that might be."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Kahmunrah joined his brother in the Egyptian wing, where Ahkmenrah was pacing and chewing his lip. "It's times like these when I wonder what's going on in your head."

"I can't stop thinking about her, about everything."

"Am I to assume 'her' refers to Tally?"

"Yes."

"Well, why don't you tell her you like her?"

Ahkmenrah gave his brother a look which spoke for him: "You think it's that easy." He looked away again, shaking his head. "It's almost dawn," he said.

"We still have a few minutes, time with which to see whether we're wrong."

"We still have tomorrow night, and we can't get caught now. Better safe than sorry."

Kahmunrah nodded in assent and prepared for the coming sunrise.

Tally tossed the key she snuck home onto the coffee table, alongside the notes, and collapsed onto the sofa. She hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep until her cell phone rang, woke her up, and she had to feel for it. "Hello?" she said after she found it.

"Hello, this is Linda from the debt settlement company."

"Yeah."

"Through negotiations with the credit card company, we were able to settle your grandfather's debt for seventy-five hundred dollars."

Tally collapsed onto the sofa again. "Oh, thank you so much. I'm recommending your company to everybody I know."

"That's good to know. You'll still have to pay that bill, though."

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it ASAP."

"Alright, have a good day."

"You, too."

"Bye."

Tally hung up and tossed the phone aside, considering going back to sleep, but then she remembered the key. She sat up and began flipping through page after page, notebook after notebook until she found a matching image of the key she brought home. She read the passages carefully, aloud.

" 'Basement thirteen is never to be entered, under any circumstances, because anyone who enters never leaves, is never seen or heard of again. I alone hold the key, the only key. If I'm dead and anyone is reading this, find the key and have it destroyed.' "

Tally set the notebook down and examined the key, pieces of the puzzle only just beginning to fit together in her mind.

That night, just before the late crowd arrived but just after the sun set, Ahkmenrah caught up with Larry just as the latter walked in the door. "Where's that paper you showed us a couple nights ago?"

"Wha-oh." Larry fished around until he pulled out the sheet of paper he'd shown Ahkmenrah and Kahmunrah roughly forty-eight hours prior and handing it over. "This it?"

"Yes." Ahkmenrah examined the paper closely and walked over to the threshold of the Hall of Miniatures, laying the paper next to the Eye of Horus, which was still there, amazingly. The eye combined with the image of an almost completely inked out sun was enough to completely bring Ahkmenrah to his knees. He shook his head, blinked a few times, even wiped his eyes, but the connection couldn't be mistaken.

Larry walked over to see what all the fuss was about, but all he saw were a couple of pictures that made no sense either separate or together. Ahkmenrah was murmuring in his mother tongue, but only God knew what he was saying.

Suddenly, Ahkmenrah shot to his feet and launched into a nonsensical monologue about defiling the symbol of Ra and how it shouldn't be done.

Jedediah and Octavius watched Ahkmenrah's pacing and babbling like it was some kind of amateur movie from a freshman at a B-list film school. Finally, Ahkmenrah said, "That's it! It absolutely has to be it!" and he ran off, leaving Larry, Jed, and Octavius staring, in some cases slack-jawed, in all cases speechless.

"Okay, then," Larry finally said, attempting to break the thick veil of silence which hung over the Hall of Miniatures.

"What is it?" Kahmunrah asked the instant Ahkmenrah crossed the threshold to the Egyptian wing.

"Shadows. Soul-stealers." Ahkmenrah's tone of voice instantly darkened. "The obscurers of the light of Ra."

"Soul-stealers?"

"I thought you knew exactly what we were talking about."

"I did. It was a silly old legend."

"One which seems to be coming true. Kahmunrah, what did they say to you before they died?"

"Why?"

"It might save our lives within the next two days. What did they say?"

"I can't remember. I haven't thought on it in millennia."

"Oh, you're a huge help."

"You asked."

Akhmenrah sighed. "Now isn't the time for all this. We need a plan."

"You're pharaoh," Kahmunrah said with a shrug.

"I already told you! Until his death, a pharaoh is not a god, he is a man."

"Still, the pharaoh does most of the planning."

"Unless he delegates it. You think about this. It's night show time."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Tally power-walked into the museum and prepared to do her first rounds at an almost record-breaking speed. Finally, she reached the lobby, as the late crowd had barely begun to disperse, to catch her breath.

"Woke up late?" Larry asked.

"Alarm snoozed three times before I finally woke up. Did I miss anything?" Tally replied.

"Nothing important."

" 'Kay, good."

Tally scanned the lobby but quickly found herself staring at Ahkmenrah. The young pharaoh seemed to have invaded her thoughts, though if that were true, her ability to stay focused on the task at hand must've been superhuman. She chewed her lip and forced herself to continue scanning the lobby. She finished her scan with what she was absolutely certain was a superhuman effort.

"You like him, don't you?" Larry asked, a little slyly.

"Who? Ahk? He's okay."

"Just okay, huh?"

"I don't see why you're asking."

"Oh, I'm just curious. I heard talking about your feelings relieved the conscience."

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Television."

"You know pretty much all of television is a fake, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So don't believe everything you hear."

"I've heard. So..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Tally looked around the lobby again, seeking something to do more than anything else. The sounds of everyone talking around her began to blend together in an unintelligible humming sound. A small plane zipped by, accompanied by Jedediah's distinctive "Yee-haw!" and Octavius shouting something about slowing down and crashing. Some things never change, she mused.

Ahkmenrah found himself glancing at Tally every chance he could get, especially between tour groups. His mind drifted back to his brother's words; perhaps he should just tell her, but what would he say? Was there some series of words that was universally used to talk about feelings for and with a girl? He was in a more complicated age now, but did some of the old rules of engagement apply?

"Hey, Ahk, whatcha thinking about that's so important?" Jedediah asked, jarring Ahkmenrah out of his musings. The miniature had landed the small plane on the table next to the tablet, and it looked an awful lot like his Roman companion was catching his breath and trying not to have a seizure.

"Nothing. I was...nothing."

"It don't look like nothing."

"Jedediah's right," Octavius added once he recovered himself.

Ahkmenrah leaned down to face the two miniatures. "Let's say for a moment there's a girl I like, but I haven't the slightest idea how to tell her so."

"Oooo-ee! That's a problem."

"Do you have any suggestions?"

"Actually, I dunno how to help you."

"So why did you bother to stop by?"

"Felt like asking."

Ahkmenrah sighed and turned to the next group of kids, preparing his speech and hoping it was almost over.

Jedediah started the plane and began to fly around the lobby again, just as Octavius was recovering from Jed's skills as a pilot, or lack thereof, depending on perspective. Octavius struggled to keep his wits about him and just relax. After all, Jedediah hadn't killed them yet.

Tally leaned against the wall and watched the crowd slowly trickle out of the museum, leaving only her, Larry, and the exhibits, who erupted into their usual post-Friday late show party. After a moment, she stood up and walked over to Ahkmenrah. "What's up?" she asked.

"Um, the ceiling?" he replied.

"No, I mean how are things?"

"Oh. Things are good, things are good. How are things with you?"

"They're good." Tally chewed her lip, struggling to think up a segway. "It's Friday."

"I know."

"So, uh...maybe we should spend our time...talking?"

"Talking? About what?"

Tally looked around for a moment and found herself wondering something. "Talking about why Mrs. Tinsley's still here."

"She is?"

"Yeah, don't you see?" Tally gestured to where Mrs. Tinsley stood, her nose in the air and a clipboard in hand.

"Ah, of course. Is she waiting for a train?"

"She doesn't do that. If not a train, then a taxi, but she always leaves right when the museum closes down for the night."

"Really?"

"She's that OCD."

"OCD?"

"Obsessive compulsive, really obsessive compulsive disorder when not used as a verb."

"Well, then."

"So why is she still here?"

Mrs. Tinsley glared at Ahkmenrah and Tally before turning on her heel and vanishing down the corridor to the Egyptian wing.


	7. Chapter 6

pinkxjellybean, I know Tally's a crazy psycho from hell sometimes, but trust me, Mrs. Tinsley's worse. By birthright, Kahmunrah's a pharaoh, but if you'll remember right, in NatM 2, he explains that his parents gave Egypt to his brother Ahk.

Chapter Six

Kahmunrah watched the new curator approach as if she had something extremely important to take care of, and he immediately had the guards stop her. She glared at him, and he matched it with a glare of equal or greater ferocity. "Where's the key?" she demanded.

"There is none," Kahmunrah replied with a cold voice.

"Ha! Where's the key, dress-boy?"

"It's not a dress. It's a tunic."

"Where's the key?"

"I have it," Tally said from behind her.

Tally had just caught up with Mrs. Tinsley, and Ahkmenrah was right behind her. Mrs. Tinsley turned to face her, shock and anger distorting her features. "Where is that key?"

"Oo, sorry. Left it at home. Let me find it tomorrow and get back to you."

Mrs. Tinsley took careful steps toward Tally. "Tonight at midnight, the world will collapse, and I will see to it. Give me that key."

"No can do."

"You have thirty minutes to bring me that key or I'll kill you myself."

"Then you shall have me to face," Akhmenrah said, stepping up to Tally's side. Mrs. Tinsley stepped back, appalled, but Ahkmenrah remained resolute.

"Are you mad?" Tally asked him.

"Trust me," he replied in a low voice.

"For his sake you'd better give me that key."

Tally watched Mrs. Tinsley's eyes carefully, seeing that, unlike their usual green, they were almost black. "Do soul-stealers possess people?"

"Yes. That's what makes them soul-stealers."

"We've got a problem."

Ahkmenrah instantly launched into a string of Egyptian only Kahmunrah could make any real sense of, and he repeated this string to the guards, who called in reinforcements from other nearby exhibits. Mrs. Tinsley was surrounded in no time.

However, also in no time at all, she disintegrated into shadow and vanished, leaving behind a very stunned audience.

Word of the...incident...spread throughout the museum within the hour, and it was on everyone's lips for the next two, save Kahmunrah and Ahkmenrah, who were both hiding out in the Egyptian wing babbling to each other in Egyptian. After she gave Larry a recap and he'd gone off to do his thing, Tally listened to all the conspiracy theories from each of the exhibits, sometimes comparing them, sometimes not. Suffice it to say, everyone knew what happened, but no one knew how or why, or even if it was physically possible.

Then, without warning, the sound of metal being ripped apart tore through the museum.

Larry had just gone to make sure all the exhibits were safely inside the museum's walls when a door neighboring one he'd just checked ripped open, spilling shadows into the surrounding chamber. He took a few steps back before turning around and breaking into a full sprint in an effort to leave the basement behind.

He made it to one of the corridors of Greek pottery, which was taped off at one end for restoration efforts. He slid under the tape, where Rexy was waiting to run around or play fetch or something. "Not now," Larry managed, turning toward the corridor, to which there'd been no change. "We gotta get out of here. Can you do that?" Rexy turned and walked away, almost like he was sulking, and Larry took a few steps backward before he could turn around again and feel safe doing so.

Tally had just started to leave when Larry walked into the lobby, a little shaken and more than a little out of breath, but alive. "What the hell happened?"

"I...dunno... They're coming."

"Who?"

The museum was plunged into complete darkness at that moment. For a long time, no one said anything while the palpable darkness began taking hold on every inanimate object, making them emanate a very real sense of dread.

"Do you like it?"

A figure stepped out of the darkness, startling everyone.


	8. Chapter 7

Tally the main chick, pinkxjellybean. Yeah, Mrs. T's a hoot.

Chapter Seven

Mrs. Tinsley took a few steps toward the center of the lobby, looking directly at Tally, a smirk plastered on her face. "Too bad we won't be needing your services," she hissed.

"You think I'd have given them to you? Wow." Tally struggled to keep her voice even, even a little cocky as an added defense.

"You work for me, Tally."

"I work for this museum."

"This museum is under my management."

"Good luck with that."

Mrs. Tinsley took but two steps toward Tally before she was stopped. Tally followed the spear from the point where it threatened to connect with Mrs. Tinsley's neck to the person who was wielding it. She blinked a few times to be sure of what she was seeing, and surely, she was.

"Ahk, have you lost your mind?" Tally's voice was reaching the pitch of a shriek, and she could feel Mrs. Tinsley's eyes on her.

"Maybe I have, but now isn't the time to discuss such trivial things," Ahkmenrah replied, his voice more even than Tally expected to hear it. "Get out of here."

"How?"

"I don't care. Just get out of here."

Tally looked around before following a fairly straightforward path leading to the front door and sidestepping the possessed curator at the same time. She flagged down a taxi, gave directions, fished around for fare, paid and darted into the apartment complex. She found her late grandfather's apartment with ease and began flipping through the notes at a feverish pace. She found the entry on the basement, and without thinking, she took the key and pocketed it.

She skimmed the entry on the basement, searching for any kind of clue as to what was going on and why, perhaps enough to stop this madness.

The lights dimmed, and Tally grabbed the notebook and darted out of the apartment complex, regretting the fact that she'd sold Cecil's car to help pay off his debts. Forgetting all that, she flagged down a taxi and gave directions, careful to add "step on it" more than once. The cabby followed these to a T, and she paid accordingly. "Keep the change," was all she said before she ran up the stairs three at a time and burst through the front door, sliding into the lobby.

"What did you find?" Ahkmenrah asked.

"This," Tally gestured to the notebook in her hand, "but I was followed."

"Followed? By who?"

Tally got to her feet and turned toward the door, watching the lights from the surrounding buildings dim. "That."


	9. Chapter 8

Don't worry. Hope that chapter answered that question, pinkxjellybean.

Chapter Eight

The darkness edged closer to the door, and Jedediah tentatively kept his eyes on it from his hiding spot. "Whatcha make of it?"

"I think we're doomed," Octavius replied.

"So now what? Do we just keep hiding?"

"That's our safest option, Jedediah." Octavius rested a hand on Jed's upper arm and watched the darkness as well. "It's not like we're of any size to do something."

"We can do something! Remember at the Smithsonian when we took out those guys' shoes?"

"Yes, I remember, but this is almost a moving shadow."

"What about that curator gal?"

"Mrs. Tinsley?"

"Yeah, her."

"What about her?"

"She's a real person, right?"

"Yes."

"She can get hurt, right?"

"Yes-Oh!"

"Getting it now?"

"Yes, completely. What is your plan?"

"Break out every miniature you can. We're gonna need a lot of help."

Tally stood at Ahkmenrah's side, while Larry, Kahmunrah, and a few brazen others stood toward the back, near the reception desk. Rexy and the Moai looked like they were exchanging looks, but the jury was out. Once the darkness reached the threshold of the museum, Mrs. Tinsley stood in its place. She walked into the museum like she owned the place, and both Tally and Ahkmenrah narrowed their eyes at her.

"I see you have company," Mrs. Tinsley hissed. Tally checked her eye color again, and they were the same near-black she'd seen earlier that night.

"It's not letting you go, Mrs. Tinsley."

"On the contrary, Tally. It, as you so love to call this, is letting me do whatever I please, and I will die with the knowledge that I've done this world the good it deserves."

"Oh, you sick, sick woman."

Ahkmenrah whispered something in Egyptian, and Mrs. Tinsley replied in the same language. "She is, beyond a doubt, possessed," Akhmenrah concluded, choosing English this time.

"By what?"

"A soul-stealer," Kahmunrah said as if it was obvious, though he watched Mrs. Tinsley speculatively.

"What do you want?" Tally asked Mrs. Tinsley.

"You know what I want, but if you want a refresher... I want to bring the world to its collapse. There is still time, if you call half an hour time."

Tally checked her watch. It was, indeed, eleven thirty on the dot. She ran a hand through her hair and redid her pony tail, chewing her lip. "How're you gonna do it?" she finally asked, having finished all this. "How're you gonna end the world? It'd be interesting to know, sort of as trivia."

"Trivia? The collapse of the world as you know it?"

"Sure. If there're survivors, we'll have weird stuff to talk about, y'know, campfire stories."

At that instant, the lobby flooded with miniatures under the command of Jedediah and Octavius, and almost as quickly, they were upon Mrs. Tinsley. She shrieked and struggled to free herself from the miniature insurgency and ended up falling to the floor. The miniatures kept on to be more of a nuisance than anything else.

Ahkmenrah said something in Egyptian, throwing a sword into the air. Tally caught it with some ease, though she did accidently cut herself before grabbing the handle. Kahmunrah and Ahkmenrah were engaged in shouting out orders in Egyptian and finding weapons of their own to use.

Tally turned to face Mrs. Tinsley, who had broken free of the miniatures and charged at her. The miniatures did what they could to stop her, as did the two Egyptian guards, the other exhibits having more 'serious' matters to attend to. Tally managed to avoid Mrs. Tinsley and cast a glance toward Rexy, who tucked his tail between his legs and backed against the wall as far as he could.

Mrs. Tinsley cut her way to the reception desk and pulled a gun from one of the drawers, which she'd apparently put there for safe keeping. She aimed the gun at Ahkmenrah, forcing Tally to stop cold. "One false move and I'll shoot him."

"Why not just shoot me if I'm the one making the false move?"

"This is more fun."

Tally examined the sword and watched Mrs. Tinsley, each in turn, but both with equal focus.


	10. Chapter 9

I'd believe it, pinxjellybean, but I don't think the people took too kindly to that.

Chapter Nine

The miniatures clustered beside Tally, drafting plans of action which they hoped were clear and concise, but who knew with the Mayans and Civil War guys in the same room. Jed and Octavius were working toward a common solution when Tally took a step forward and instantly lunged for Ahkmenrah.

The report of a pistol shattered what once was the silence of the museum up to that point.

Kahmunrah had just gotten himself and his brother, who was aided by Tally, out of the way as the bullet tore through the chest of the wax man nearest to where they stood, and the exhibit was no more. "That was close," Tally breathed, turning to face Mrs. Tinsley.

"This isn't something you can get away with, Tally."

Larry bent down and addressed Jed and Octavius directly, describing in some detail the idea which formed in his mind after the rant Ahkmenrah had launched into about blocking the sun. The two miniatures nodded when it was appropriate. A few seconds after Larry shut up, the lightbulb lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Yeah, sure, Gigantor. We can do it," Jed said.

"Easier said than done," Octavius whispered in Jed's ear.

Larry directed his attention toward Tally, Kahmunrah, and Ahkmenrah, who all stood at the ready, watching Mrs. Tinsley. She cocked the gun again and took aim, just as a series of arrows of all sizes embedded themselves in her flesh. Some of the arrows were tied to ropes, and they were used to pull a struggling Mrs. Tinsley to the floor.

Tally threw the sword aside and grabbed the gun that had fallen out of Mrs. Tinsley's hands as she was pulled to the lobby floor. She struggled still, and Tally looked around to see who, besides the Roman archers, had fired arrows, though she could only glimpse Sacajawea and a few Native American companions.

Tally took direct aim at Mrs. Tinsley's skull as the latter struggled free against an unwielding force of miniatures several thousand strong. "I'd ask if you had any last words, but I have a feeling I know what you're gonna say." With that, Tally pulled the trigger.

The report shattered her eardrums, though at the same time it seemed to be nonexistant. The gun fell from her hands and clattered on the floor. While Mrs. Tinsley was no longer moving, she couldn't help but wonder. Her eyes drifted from the gun to the curator, who was staring at her, shocked, but unscathed. Her legs gave out, and Ahkmenrah caught her and lowered her gently to her knees.

"You really should improve your aim," Kahmunrah said nonchalantly.

"No, this is a good thing," Tally breathed in reply. "This means I'm not going to jail for murder."

"Which means she's still alive."

"She's still alive because there's a more complete way to kill her," Ahkmenrah said.

"You better have a good plan because it's exactly...eleven forty-five and fifteen seconds," Tally said, having to check her watch.

Upon hearing the time, Mrs. Tinsley tore free, grabbed the gun and notebook, which lay on the lobby floor where Tally inadvertantly left it, and rushed toward the door. "As soon as she's out, Tally, help me lock all the doors," Larry called. Tally shot to her feet and handed the key she'd carried with her to Ahkmenrah.

"I'm trusting you with this for obvious reasons. Make sure you destroy it after you lock the basement as best you can." Ahkmenrah nodded, and Tally rushed to lock every door she could think of that hadn't been locked previously. By eleven fifty, she was sure Mrs. Tinsley was outside, so she ran to lock the front doors against the moving shadows which had tried to eat their souls.

Ahkmenrah ran down to the basement, looking for the door labeled '13'. He shoved the door shut and locked it, checking it twice and barricading it with the nearest series of crates to be sure. He could hear banging on the doors, and he was certain it was close to midnight.

He rushed to the boiler room, broke his way in, and threw the key into the boiler before leaving as quickly as possible.

Tally watched the shadows press on the front door, almost damaging the glass as they spread. She grabbed her flashlight and turned it on, aiming it at the shadows, who showed no reaction. She turned the flashlight off and tucked it away again, proceeding to check her watch. Okay, she thought with a sigh. Three minutes to show time. She looked at the door again, where Mrs. Tinsley stood, the gun held high above her head. She cocked it, pulled the trigger, and waited. And waited.

Tally dug out the bullet from where it had been buried in the floor, waving it between her fingers in a taunting fashion. "Last one," she said. Mrs. Tinsley bashed the butt of the pistol against the glass, cracking it twice. Tally checked her watch again. "Don't think your soul-stealer buddies'll like you much in thirty seconds."

Within seconds, the shadows began to dissipate, and again, Mrs. Tinsley bashed her pistol against the glass, in vain. She was claimed by a column of shadow, and it left no trace save the pistol and notebook. Tally carefully unlocked the front doors, walked out, and picked up the notebook, flipping through it. There was not only the entry on Basement Thirteen, but another entry, describing the soul-stealers in all the gory details necessary for horror fans to even pick up a copy.

She walked back inside, both items in hand, locking the doors behind her.


	11. Chapter 10

pinkxjellybean, your involvement cracks me up. :)

Chapter Ten

By two in the morning, the exhibits, Larry, and Tally had most of the mess cleaned up to the point where no one would ever notice what had happened, if anything, and they all just milled about after that.

Ahkmenrah found Tally leaning against a wall in an otherwise deserted corridor, staring at nothing. "Who would you choose?" She asked. "McPhee or Mrs. Tinsley?"

"McPhee, without doubt," Ahkmenrah replied. "Who would you choose?"

"McPhee, as well."

"Well, I see the dust is settling."

"That's good. I like settled dust."

"Good. That's good."

"Ahk, look, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time."

"Oh, good, because I've been meaning to do the same thing."

"You first," they said at the same time. "No, you first. I insist. Oh, just say it already!"

"Alright, you first, since you're the lady," Ahkmenrah said.

"I really like you," Tally replied, doing her best to look him in the eye.

"I really like you, too."

He took her hand, causing her to blush and him to smile. She sighed and looked up at where the wall met the ceiling. "We're really messed up."

"How do you figure that?"

"You and I both know you're long dead, for one. Second, what're you gonna do when I'm gone?"

"I'll get over it, slowly and surely but I'll get over it."

"Hm. Well, that's good to know."

"So, what's your plan for tomorrow, now that you can actually afford to have a plan?"

"Well, notify the board of my decision, finish cleaning out Cecil's apartment, mundane stuff."

"Decision, you said?"

"To let them take the money out of my paycheck to fix the window."

"Are you sure about this?"

"It's either that or get fired. I'm the first person they'll blame, so I'm covering my bases now."

"Oh, that's smart."

"Maybe you're rubbing off on me."

"Excuse me?"

"I heard you were a smart guy."

"Who told you that?"

"The grape vine."

"I'm sorry?"

"Word of mouth."

"Ah." Ahkmenrah leaned against the wall, staring up at one of the high points on the wall opposite. Tally had released his hand after a moment, but Ahkmenrah soon found she was fiddling with her flashlight, so he returned to his position.

"Hey, dawn in twenty minutes," Larry said, passing them by in the hall in which they leaned against and stared at walls.

"I must be off," Ahkmenrah said.

"See you tomorrow."

"Of course." He flashed Tally a smile as he turned to leave.


	12. Epilogue

pinkxjellybean, I also take McPhee because he's the better person compared to Mrs. T. (Remember, Mrs. T. was described as an uptight librarian.) About Ahk, though, you should totally draw that.

Epilogue

The board had agreed to refuse Tally the payment amount necessary to fix the front door's glass window, which equated to about three months' volunteer work at the museum. Didn't matter to her, the way she saw it.

She and Ahkmenrah were getting along quite well, letting things take their course at the pace Fate had decided for them.

McPhee managed to get his position back, despite his slightly blemished record. Jedediah and Octavius continued being Jedediah and Octavius, and the Moai continued asking "dum-dums" for "gum-gum" come the late show. Very few people, usually repeat visitors, actually gave him any gum.

Miraculously, Larry and Tally both kept their jobs, but rumors of the insanity which took place in recent weeks spread like wildfire all over New York City, and likely, the internet, which meant the entire free world.

Tally wandered about the museum, finishing her second patrol, when she found herself in the Hall of Miniatures, watching Octavius drill his men. She noticed that Jedediah was also watching, not that it struck her as odd. Octavius called out his drill commands in Latin, having just finished one when he looked up at Tally. "We shall soon be fully prepared to take on things much taller than ourselves."

"Right on," Tally replied, suspending a fist in the air for a moment. Octavius responded appropriately before turning to Jedediah. Tally fled the scene for the Egyptian wing.

"Oh, there you are," Ahkmenrah said upon seeing her.

"Yes, I'm here, safe, sound, insane as ever, and I've got three hours ahead of me."

"Sounds nice."

"Yes, it does, actually." Tally sighed and studied the freshly restored stela now on display. "Does it say anything bad?"

"Stela never do that. That's what graffiti is for."

"What? You're gonna immortalize us in graffiti now?"

"What's to stop me save the rising sun?"

"Good point." Tally returned to her study of the symbols on the stela. "I wonder if you'd call it 'less than flattering' if it's on a stela."

"That has been known to happen. As have other things."

"What other things?"

"Oh, you know, the usual." Ahkmenrah rested Tally's chin on his index finger and kissed her lightly. "Baby steps, just like you said."

"Yeah, baby steps."


End file.
